Martial arts athlete calls police after getting abused; netizens are not impressed, here’s why

A Chinese female Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) athlete who fell victim to sexual harassment was trolled online for reporting the incident to the police rather than beating the man by herself, reported South China Morning Post (SCMP).

According to the report, the female MMA athlete was returning to her home when a man attempted to sexually assault her. The female athlete, Xu, was walking on the streets of Jing'an district when a youngster, Zhou, approached her for help, reported SCMP citing Dute News.

The accused, Zhou, approached Xu and suddenly asked for her contact information. Even before Xu could respond, he suddenly groped her and even attempted to kiss her. Although Xu could manage to push the guy away, she fell to the ground and noticed that Zhou was holding a knife in his hand. Instead of fighting back the molester, Xu called the police and got the man arrested.

Later, the man was detained on charges of “forcibly molesting” a woman, confirmed Shanghai police on Weibo, reported SCMP. The incident garnered mixed reactions on social media, with many mainland users expressing their anger towards Xu for not beating the molester. Many even called her skill as an MMA athlete a waste.

Why didn't the MMA fighter fight back the molester?

Despite receiving martial arts training for over three years, Xu chose not to fight back and resorted to the legal way to deal with the harassment. According to SCMP, the athlete was worried about seriously injuring Zhou, and that's why she chose not to fight back.

“Because I am a professional MMA athlete, my punches are much stronger than the average person, and I was afraid there would be serious consequences if I did not pull my punches. Plus, if the man was not detained, he would hurt more women, and I want him to receive judicial punishment," SCMP quoted the women athlete.

Social media trolling

Several social media users criticised Xu for her decision and questioned why she didn't use her skills to punish the man.

“You have received MMA training! Why did you not use your skills to severely punish this evil?,” SCMP quoted a social media user as saying on Douyin, a short-form video app widely used in China. Douyin is a social media platform akin to TikTok.

“You would have been justified in attacking him, yet you chose not to. I can’t help but wonder if that implies you were unable to defeat him in the fight,” another user commented.